MaLoki AdventWinter Fic Challenge
by Sarit
Summary: [December 14-20th Uploaded] My roommate came up with this idea. Write a ficletdrabble every day till Christmas so here is my Matantei Loki contribution. One page ficlet for each day. The story centers around the Christmas holidays in Japan, Loki and c
1. December 1st

Title: Matantei Loki (Ragnarok) Advent/Winter Fic Challenge Author: Sarit (suboshiyui)  
Pairings: will vary and probably include just about everything by the end of it )  
Anime Series: Matantei Loki (Ragnarok)  
Rating: PG – possibly R, not sure yet.  
Note: Well I started this a bit late :P This was my roomie's idea, and I thought it would be cool. I challenge any other Loki authors to do the same! Write a fic/ficlet every day until Christmas about the holiday season. :P 

**December 1st**

"Loki-kun, come on!"

Loki sighed in resignation, though there was a sweet smile on his face at the young woman that called out to him. He hadn't expected to get dragged out in the bitter cold, on the first day of December. It had begun snowing about midnight and hadn't let up until about nine that morning. Upon seeing the white ground, Mayura had immediately accosted Loki, convincing him to go with her ice skating.

It was a past time that he hadn't done in years, even centuries. He'd never really been comfortable with the cold, though he didn't dislike it per say. You couldn't really dislike it when you've lived in it all your life, after all. He'd always known that it affected him differently, what with his affinity for fire. Strangely, though, it didn't bother him like he thought it would.

He watched her sake joyously on the ice rink, others her own age joining in on the fun of the afternoon. Snow was so rare in Tokyo, that whenever it did fall, it was a time for celebration, especially among the young folk. His eyes grew distant, remembering a time when he was so young and carefree.

She had been a miller's daughter, someone completely unsuitable for the supposed heir to a great kingdom. But then, not many would have supposed Loki to be such a one. His father had all but ignored him while growing up, favoring the wars and battles that he was famous for. His mother was an equal enigma to him, though he saw her at least a little more than he did his father.

He was known as the unkempt, bedraggled son of a proud warrior. The outcast, the disgrace to the warrior class and to his father. The young son didn't care, though. The only thing he cared about was the young woman returned his affection, though blushing furiously whenever he came to see her in the village.

Remembering that sweet face even now, Loki smiled. He watched Mayura skate around and then pushed away from the wall to join her. Life was too precious to wallow in the past. His life was here, with friends and loved ones who cared and loved him. He could ask for nothing more.


	2. December 2nd

**December 2nd**

"Freyr, I want to go home NOW!"

Freyr sighed, enduring his best friend's tirade for the hundredth time that day. He turned to Heimdall, who glared daggers at the taller god. "But Heimdall! It's Christmas!"

"And what the hell do you care? We don't celebrate Christmas!" Heimdall retorted, his hands on his hips. He didn't intend to budge, not for an instant this time. Freyr had gone too far, dragging him off for "Christmas shopping" when they didn't even celebrate the holiday!

Freyr sighed and put an arm around his friend. "No, we don't. But Freyr remembers that we used to celebrate the coming of the Winter Solstice, and this is around that time of year. Why can't we celebrate that? It all means the same thing, in the end."

Freyr had a point, as much as Heimdall hated to admit it. The winter solstice had been about coming together as a family and he'd always rather enjoyed those gatherings in Asgard. He'd even tolerated Loki's presence, and had been rather surprised, on more than one occasion, when the Trickster actually behaved himself and didn't make a nuisance of himself around Valhalla.

He found he wanted those times again, before Loki tore out his eye, before any of this had ever happened. Life in Asgard had been good, and peaceful, despite the havoc that Loki was wont to produce. They were all a large family, and he'd forgotten that during his time here. The vengeance that had entered his heart had taken hold firmly, and he hadn't realized just how much he's lost by it.

Freyr was right. Things were different now and he had to change with the times. As much as he hated that idea, he finally relinquished his pride and gave in. Just this once, though. If anyone ever found out that he'd given in so easily, he'd be the laughing stock of Asgard.

Looking up at his friend, Heimdall actually winked, causing Freyr to take a step back in shock. "Okay, okay. You win this time, Freyr. We'll go…"Christmas shopping," if it will make you happy. I don't suppose we could stop at an ammunition shop so I can…get Loki a present."

Freyr completely missed Heimdall's statement or most of it anyway. All he heard was "we'll go" and "present." He didn't know what Heimdall wanted an ammunition shop for, or how that could relate to a present for Loki, but he was glad his friend was willing to see the reason for the season. It didn't have to do with any particular religion, but it had to do with the heart. Winter was a cold, unforgiving season, and it was up to the people that lived in it to make it a bit more bright and warm for each other. What better way than to celebrate the coming year and wish for peace on earth?


	3. December 3rd

**December 3rd**

The smells of the kitchen were enough to send even the stoutest warrior drooling, and Narugami was anything but weak. But even he nearly fell on his knees at the delicious aromas that came from Loki's kitchen. He bolted through the door and stopped at the entrance.

Yamino stood at the counter, looking more than a little bit frazzled. It certainly wasn't normal for the son of Loki to be so out of sorts, especially about cooking. Cooking seemed to be one of Yamino's deep loves and Narugami thought they made a fairly good pair. Yamino liked to cook and Narugami liked to eat.

Just now, Yamino was rushing from one part of the kitchen to the other. He'd never seen his friend's son in such a state. What could possibly be the matter with him? "Megane?"

"AH!" Yamino gave a startled yelp, throwing the bag of noodles he'd hand in his hand in the air. They fell to the ground, splattering all over the place.

"Ah, gomen gomen. I didn't mean to startle you," Narugami couldn't help but snicker at the startled look on the other man's face. It was simply classic! "What are you doing?"

"Uhm…cooking?" Yamino ventured, bending down to clean up the mess he'd made after being startled.

Narugami knelt next to him, helping him pick up the scattered noodles. "I can see that. Why are you cooking? You don't usually this time of day."

"Oh…well, I'm practicing, you see. And it's going all wrong!" Yamino lamented, tears in his eyes. "I wanted to do it right the first try but it's all so terribly wrong!"

"Eh?!" Narugami blinked, looking at the young man in front of him in shock. "Are you kidding? Whatever it is you're making, it's smells damn good!"

But Yamino shook his head, insisting it was terrible. "No no! It's not right, I tell you! See?" He held out a large book to Narugami, who took it in his hands and read over it briefly. An eyebrow raised and he shook his head. "A book on Christmas dinners? What's this about?"

"Well…I thought it would be a good time for all of us to get together. I haven't asked Loki-sama about it yet, but Mayura-san mentioned it to me the other day," Yamino admitted shyly, flushing at the thought of doing this behind his father's back.

"A party huh? Just like the old days," Narugami smiled, remembering the Yule parties they'd used to have in Asgard. Those had been some parties, all right. He could still smell the roasted venison on the spit in the hall and the overflowing cups of mead.

"I guess…" Yamino hesitated and then sighed and gave in. "Thinks are so different here now. Niisan and I, for one. We're not locked up anymore and can actually participate. I want this year to be special and perfect for all of us, especially for Loki-sama."

"Well then! We have about three weeks to get this perfect! What are we waiting for?" Narugami rolled up his sleeves and helped Yamino to his feet. "We have cooking to do!"

Yamino smiled shyly and nodded. That's what this season was all about, helping each other and putting aside your fears. He hoped Loki-sama would be pleased.


	4. December 4th

**December 4th**

A crash sounded upstairs and Urd winched. Skuld must be going through her wardrobe yet again. Sometimes she wished that she were an only child, though that would have been hard, being a Norn and all.

"She's at it again," Verdandi echoed Urd's thoughts vocally and winced. Both sisters sighed heavily. Sometimes it was hard having a love struck younger sister. Skuld had always had a massive crush on Loki since they were in Asgard and nothing any of them could do could convince her otherwise. Then again, it didn't help that Loki was a consummate flirt and flirted with her and any female at any opportunity that he could get.

"We really should do something about that crush of hers," Urd advised her sister and was surprised when Verdandi just shrugged, unconcerned.

"She's young and he is very handsome. Any sane female would have a crush on him," Verdandi said.

"Yes, but she will be hurt when he rejects her, for he surely will. We've all seen the signs with him and that girl," Urd turned to the pot of tea that she was making.

"True and we will be invited to that party Jormungand wishes to have soon," Verdandi smirked, winking at her sister, who rolled her eyes. Sometimes Verdandi's knowledge of the present could get to you. She could be so insufferably smug about it.

"YAY!!" Skuld flew down the stairs and wrapped her arms around her sisters, dancing with them spontaneously. "Yamino-san wants us to come over for a party! We can go see Loki-sama!"

The two other sisters rolled their eyes heavenward. "When is this party?" Urd asked with a sigh

"The twenty-fourth. It's going to be so much fun!" Skuld squealed, clapping her hands and dancing around in happiness. "We can see Loki-sama! Yay!"

The two sisters looked at each other and sighed, rolling their eyes. Maybe they should kill Loki just to get her to shut up.


	5. December 5th

**December 5th**

The park was full of people, and they didn't notice the young girl, holding a Labrador puppy in her arms. She was unassuming and no one would take her for anything but a little girl. Despite the fact that she was, in fact, a goddess.

Reiya sighed, hugging little Fenrir to her with a deep sigh. Despite being in this form now, she did know who and what she was. She liked to play the little girl sometimes, though not often anymore. It had been disheartening to realize that even with Loki in his true form, he still didn't want her the way she wanted him.

She'd been feeling depressed and had run into Fenrir, who had been stalking a cat. It had been funny at first, but then she admonished him for it. She loved cats and certainly didn't want to see any get hurt because Fenrir wanted to play.

Fenrir had given in and now he sat with her on a bench, accepting morsels of food from her. "You're sad, why?" He nibbled on the piece of pastry she held, his black eyes looking up at her earnestly.

Reiya smiled and shrugged. "Why am I always sad? You'd think I'd be able to compete against some human."

"You shouldn't try," Fenrir said surprisingly and she arched an eyebrow upwards. "You shouldn't have to degrade yourself that way, my lady."

Reiya smiled and shimmered, returning to her original form of Freya. No one seemed to notice the young girl was gone, replaced by a beautiful woman. "You are kind to say so, Fenrir. I suppose it is rather childish of me to chase after your father that way. He is obviously old enough to make his own decisions."

"Yep and so are you," Fenrir said than surprisingly, he licked her face. She blinked, and then a soft blush creeped over her cheeks. It was the canine equivalent of a kiss and she didn't mistake it as anything other than that.

"I like you, Fenrir. What say we forget Loki and Mayura and have fun on our own?" she suggested. They'd seen the pair ice skating earlier and that had been what upset her so much.

Fenrir winked and jumped off her lap. "Sure, though I think I might change for that."

"Change?" she blinked and then cooed. "Oooo…yes please. I've always wanted to see your human self."

Fenrir just winked.


	6. December 6th

**December 6th**

Tokyo wasn't the only place that it was snowing. Hel looked out the window of her hall in Helheim, surprised at the snowy white flakes that fell onto the ground. She hadn't seen snow since before she was taken from Jotunheim and her mother. A soft smile spread over her lips and she sighed softly, happily. Snow was so cleaning and peaceful, giving Niflheim a sense of innocence.

She looked up from her contemplating the snow outside, surprised to see her trusted friend, Modgud enter. The other woman had a displeased look on her face and she was obviously trying to hold her anger in. "They're here, my lady."

"They?" Hel asked, and then gave a naughty little giggle that had even Modgud shudder. "Oh yes…about time!" It was time for a little payback and she was really looking forward to all this.

The daughter of Loki led the way to her throne room, where she couldn't help but stop and stare in disbelief. The pair that she'd been looking forward to meeting (torturing) were in attendance, though neither of them seemed to notice the entrance of the Queen of the Dead.

Odin stood before in the center, his long black robe caressing his skin. Even dead he was a striking figure. His long silvery hair fell around him, pooling on the floor. At the moment, he was glaring daggers at the young man next to him.

The younger man made Hel's heart beat faster and she all but swooned at the sight of him. The god of light, Baldur. He was so handsome…and so diabolical! He made her heart race like no one else could!

"This is all your fault!" Odin whined, glaring at his son. He couldn't believe that he'd allowed Baldur to do this to him. He was the rule of Asgard, for crying out loud!

"Oh shut up, old man! You're the one to blame for it all!" Baldur seethed, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked nothing like Odin, taking after mostly from his mother, the Lady Frigg.

"Me? I'm not the little ass that decided that he wanted "revenge" and that he'd do it by invading MY BODY!" Odin screeched. Hel was very impressed. She hadn't thought that Odin COULD screech. Then again, if all the stories her father had told were true…

Baldur winced, putting a finger in his ear to wiggle away the ringing that had started from Odin's screech. "You sound like a little girl when you do that! Gah! To think you're my father! No wonder I'm so fucked up!"

"Well, at least we agree on that point! How could you do that to me?! Your own father! You're nothing but a worthless son, Baldur! You always were difficult…Frigg coddled you too much! Dressing you up like a little girl, playing dolls and using makeup…those aren't manly endeavors! You're a little pansy ass!"

"Pansy! I am not! You take that back!" Baldur's bottom lip trembled and little alligator tears formed and spilled on the ground. "Daddy's mean!"

Hel sweat dropped and nearly fell over. Gah! But they were so stupid! How could Asgard have survived with these two at the helm?! Still…he was awfully cute when he pouted like that…

Maybe she could get him under the mistletoe this time. He was cute and she could certainly forgive a small thing like him trying to kill her father.


	7. December 7th

**December 7th**

After seeing Mayura home, Loki had returned home to pandemonium. He'd actually fallen on his ass in shock upon entering the kitchen. Never in his life had he seen it look such a disaster. Yamino had actually screeched at him like a barn owl to get away, much to Narugami's amusement. Loki had merely sighed sufferingly and departed the house. Yamino had all but begged his father to go shopping and Loki had agreed, if only to get away from the crazed pair.

It was a salvation of sorts when he finally managed to get away from the house. Yamino had given him a list that would have fed an army and he secretly suspected they were up to something. He knew that look on Narugami's face all too well, and it usually meant trouble. Loki excelled at trouble, but Thor seemed to fall into it without any thought at all and that was even scarier than the God of Mischief getting into trouble.

He'd also had a missive from his daughter in Niflheim. Apparently the souls of Odin and Baldur had finally arrived and had asked his opinion on what he thought she should do with them. He didn't think his suggestion that she feed them to Nidhogg had gone over very well.

Loki couldn't help it. He couldn't stand Baldur. Not because he was the god of light or Odin's son. He was just…incredibly irritating. Baldur was a whiny, snot nosed little brat that needed to be put over someone's knee and whipped within an inch of his life. Which was why he'd never felt sorry for his part in Baldur's death.

True, he hadn't meant to kill the little sniveling brat. When Baldur had those dreams of his death, he had suspected they had just been a ploy to get more attention out of his mother, which had worked wonders. Not only did she coo and treat him like a little baby, she'd actually gone all over the nine worlds and demanded everything swear to never lay a hand on her precious baby boy. Loki had nearly gagged at the very idea. Curious to see if she really had gotten everything, he'd changed his form and pressed her for details. Apparently she hadn't bothered with mistletoe, as everyone knew that the plant was only good for getting kisses out of young maids and Frigg wanted her son to still have his masculinity.

Loki had almost busted a gut when she'd said that. Masculinity? BALDUR?! Even as big a fruitcake as Freyr was, he was more masculine than that little mama's boy! He still remembered when Baldur had whined incessantly about breaking a fingernail when Thor had shook his hand a little too hard. The boy was a freaking wuss!

It irritated him to no end that his precious baby daughter actually bliked/b that little trollop. Heimdall could be irritating, but at least he didn't whine that it was too cold and his new boots were going to get ruined if he stepped outside in the snow. That little adventure still irked him. He'd asked himself over and over after that, if Odin hated him. Why else would he have paired Loki with Baldur for that mission?

So, when they'd come back, he'd secretly planned a little prank. Everyone started pelting Baldur with these inane objects and, getting into the spirit of things, Loki had taken a sprig of mistletoe and joined in. He'd hoped it would have given Baldur hives, or a rash in a very uncomfortable place…

He hadn't expected it to kill the other god. He'd been expecting a large welt on Baldur's nose, not blood gushing and him falling to the ground dead. Everyone had looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he'd tried to apologize, explaining the situation.

Odin hadn't thought much of it, but Frigg had been near hysterical. She'd called him evil and he had done it because he was jealous of her son. Loki? Jealous of that little fucked up brat?! Even the other gods stared at Frigg incredulously and snickered behind their backs at her.

So Loki had promised that he would have his daughter look after her "precious baby boy" until he could return to the gods. Trouble was, Hel didn't want him to go. She'd immediately gotten a crush upon him as soon as Baldur set foot in Helheim and she wasn't about to let her choice of mate go.

He'd finally given up on the whole affair and let Frigg think him an evil ogre. He didn't really care what she thought of him, and frankly, he was glad Baldur wasn't around Asgard anymore. It had started getting so bad he was afraid that he **would** kill him.

All of this went through his mind while walking to the market. So lost in thought, he didn't notice a young boy with purple hair walking in the same direction. Both were so preoccupied that they ran into each other. With a cry, they both fell onto their ass, groaning in pain.

Loki glared at Heimdall, discontent. "Baka! Watch where you're going!"

"Me? Why don't you? You're taller, dumbass," Heimdall snarled, his one visible eye glaring balefully at his adversary.

"You could be too, you know. Or did you forget how?" Loki teased, a malicious smirk on his face. He loved rubbing it in, since he knew Heimdall HAD forgotten how to change back.

Snarling, Heimdall made a swipe at him with his gloved claws. "Asshole. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Shopping. You?" Loki blinked, staring at the bag that Heimdall had dropped when they had collided. Upon seeing the spilled contents, he sweat dropped.

Pieces of cloth fell out of the bag and landed on the ground in a heap. Loki reached out and picked on up, twitching at the sight.

They were women's lingerie. But not just any women's lingerie…oh no. These were the special order ones from Frederick's of Hollywood and they were PINK! Bright prink, with white lace over them and black feather fringe around the seams. He stared at it incredulously, and then looked over at Heimdall.

Heimdall was a lovely shade of red, even brighter than Loki's natural hair color. Loki just stared at Heimdall before snickering and wiggling his eyebrows at the Watcher. "Gee, Heimdall…I didn't think you were into frilly underwear!"

"I'm not, baka! Give it back!" Heimdall growled, grabbing it from Loki and stuffing it back in his bag. But Loki wasn't about to let this go. This was too good to pass up!

Grabbing the bag, Loki stood up and held the bag over Heimdall's neck, an evil little smirk on his face. "Nope, not until you tell me what it's for."

Steaming, Heimdall made a grab for it, but since he was still in his child's form, he couldn't reach. "No! Give me!"

"Tell first."

Growling, Heimdall looked down and shuffled his feet, his face turning even redder if it were possible. Trisha likes them."

"Trisha? You're HAWK?!" Loki dropped the bag and fell over, almost gagging from his attempts to get air he was laughing so hard.

Heimdall glared and kicked Loki in the leg. "Shut up! You've done worse!"

"True, true," Loki finally conceded, though he was still trying to hold in his laughter. "Fine, fine. I'll behave myself. What say we go shopping? You can…hehehehe…get something else for Trisha."

Heimdall glared daggers at Loki, but followed after the Trickster. Loki's death would come swift and sure and he would relish every moment of it. No one laughed at his girlfriend like that!


	8. December 8th

**December 8th**  
Pairing: Fenrir/Freya! About time, ne? :P

Having reverted back to her child form, Reiya held Fenrir in her arms, petting him absently. He nuzzled into her hand, content at the attention he was getting. They hadn't gone far from the park, when they'd heard the most amusing, and unbelievable exchange either had ever witnessed in all their long lives.

Loki and Heimdall were actually talking…TALKING! Granted, it wasn't very civil, but they weren't trying to kill each other, which was a big plus. Reiya suddenly turned red and gasped at what Loki had pulled from Heimdall's bag.

Blushing furiously, she ran in the opposite direction, shaking her head. Who would have thought that Heimdall was a crossdresser?

Leaving the familiar area of the market, Reiya soon found herself near the downtown district. Fliers were posted everywhere, advertising the new outdoor ice skating rink that she'd seen Loki and Mayura at earlier that day. Fenrir gave a bark, indicating he would like to go there too.

The two set off down the street, Reiya getting into a festive mood. There were multi-colored lights strung all over the streets and the whole of downtown had a festive charm to it all. She took a deep breath, then darted into an alley. When she came out, she was once more her true self.

Freya didn't notice the men and women that looked her over while she walked down the street. She'd been so preoccupied in the park that she hadn't noticed it before. She certainly did catch the eye of many a man and woman and she felt her confidence soar. At least she hadn't lost her touch in that regard.

She was surprised when Fenrir all of a sudden jumped out of her arms and dashed down a nearby street. "Fenrir!" She called out to him but it was too late, he was already gone. Disturbed at his sudden disappearance, she followed him down the street.

The street opened up to one end of the skating rink and she looked around, looking for a little black Labrador puppy. If he was there, she couldn't see him. A pout spread over her lips and she stomped her foot. Was she destined to have every man run away from her?

Freya gave a startled yelp when a pair of masculine arms wrapped around her waist. She stiffened in the arms of whoever held her, ready to defend herself with all the Valkyrie training she had within her.

She stopped when a hot whisper of breath caressed the side of her neck. She pulled back and turned to stare at the man that dared to hold her.

He winked at her, striking a dramatic pose. "So?"

"Who are you?" Freya asked cautiously, suspicious of this man. Suspicious, but attracted. He was quite handsome.

The man smirked and winked. "Why Freya! I'm hurt that you would forget me so soon!"

She frowned for a moment before her eyes widened. "Fenrir?!"

"None other," Fenrir winked at her, brushing aside his curly onyx hair. His hair was as black as the night, though one could see the reddish-gold highlights in his hair. His obsidian eyes gazed back at her, an obvious amused expression on his face. His curly hair framed his face, a pair of wire framed glasses covered his eyes and it was obvious he was no weakling in the muscle department. He exuded strength and poise and she shivered at the sight of him. He certainly went beyond handsome into the realm of gorgeous!

Smiling coyly, she extended her arm to him and he took it with a mischievous grin, reminiscent of his father's. Without another word, he led her out onto the skating rink. Winter certainly was his favorite time of year!


	9. December 9th

**December 9th**

Having left her home for some last minute shopping, Mayura stopped to admire a lovely Christmas dress in one of the clothing boutiques along the way to the shopping mall. After her "date" with Loki, she'd gone back home to care for her father and the duties that she was slowly learning from him. It wasn't that her father was sick or getting old, he just thought it was time that she learn the trade of a miko.

Muttering to herself about having to do all the shopping herself, she didn't notice the man in front of her, otherwise she would have been able to prevent running into him. With a cry, she fell on her rear, groaning in pain. "Ah! Gomen gomen!"

"Yamato Nadeshiko!"

Mayura looked up and smiled happily. "Kaitou-san! What are you doing here?"

Freyr reached down to help her to her feet, stars in his eyes at the sight of her. She might not remember who he was, but he certainly remembered her. Despite the fact she obviously had feelings for Loki, he still felt a strong connection to her. "Freyr was just shopping…and looking for his friend, Heimdall."

"Oh…Kazumi-san?" Mayura ventured, remembering that she'd seen him walking into a store with Loki earlier. She hadn't had time to stop and say hello to them, since she had been due at the shrine.

"Hai! He disappeared somewhere just when he and Freyr were going to go shopping," Freyr sighed in disappointment. He'd been looking forward to going Christmas shopping. Just look at all those sales!

Mayura giggled and bounced on her feet slightly. "Did you want to come with me? I was just about to start my shopping today too. And it's so much more fun when you have someone with you, you know."

"Honto ni? Yamato Nadeshiko would want Freyr to go with her shopping?" Freyr gasped, feeling as if he had died and gone to heaven. To think that his goddess wanted him to shop with her! But it was more than that, this was a time of giving and receiving. And even if he couldn't have her love, he could have her friendship and return it in kind.

"Of course I do! And you do know you can call me Mayura," she winked and extended her arm out to him. He smiled back and accepted it. It felt nice to be with her and without all the pretenses he had to put on around others. They expected him to be scatterbrained and stupid, and he put on that mask well. But she, and Heimdall, were the only ones to see the seriousness and loneliness deep within his soul.

Leading the way, the pair headed into the large department store, oohing and ahhing at all the beautiful decorations. Truly, Christmas was one of Mayura's favorite times of the year.


	10. December 10th

**December 10th**

Licking his fingers clean, Narugami gave a pleased sound. He looked around happily, the mounds of delicious food surrounding them. Despite all the yummy food, Yamino had declared it not good enough and had started all over again.

He was about to throw it all away when Narugami suggested they give it to a nearby homeless shelter. Yamino might think that it wasn't good enough, but Narugami knew otherwise and that he food would be more than welcome.

Packing up the food into containers, they loaded it onto the moped that Yamino had purchased through a mail order catalog. The back of the bike was overflowing with packages when they set out for the nearby shelter. Yamino hid his face from Narugami, his face flushed. He wasn't used to being around the Thunder God or spending so much time with him.

While Narugami grove to the shelter, Yamino couldn't help but to find all of this incredibly ironic. From all the stories of Ragnarok, Jormungand and Thor were destined to fight and kill each other. For that reason, and others, Yamino had always been terrified of Narugami.

But not now. The week or so that they'd been doing this together had really opened his eyes. Thor wasn't the scary person that he'd always believed him to be. True, he could be intense and have a no nonsense approach to things, but he had the heart of a true warrior. He smiled at this revelation and remained silent for the trip, his previous unease departing as if it had never been.

It wasn't long before they pulled up to the shelter. There was a sign in the door, proclaiming it closed. Narugami frowned, looking back at Yamino. "They shouldn't be closed."

"No?" Yamino got off the bike and walked up to the front door. He tested the door and it wouldn't budge. "Seems locked. Are you sure they're open?"

"Yes," Narugami growled, though he wasn't angry at Yamino. He went around the back, Yamino trailing behind him. That was when they realized why the doors were locked.

There was an old monk and a small boy in the back, both on the ground. The old man was bleeding from a head wound, while the boy stood over him defensively. There was a good ten men surrounding them, the looks on their faces menacing.

"Narugami-san…go…" The old man croaked out, seeing Narugami and Yamino standing not far away, the two gazed at what was happening in horror. The leader of the men smirked and crackled his knuckles. Two more to teach a lesson to.

The sound of the knuckles being cracked shook Narugami out of his shock. He eyed the man with a smirk and brandished Mjollner. "Have at thee, nave! You shall die for hurting an innocent!"

"Get him, boys. Teach the interloper not to mess with us when we're busy," the leader said, waving a hand at Narugami as if he were nothing more than a fly. Yamino suddenly felt a stab of anger and actually hissed. They dared to hurt this poor old man, and now they were making fun of Thor-san?

The men didn't know what hit them, which was good in the long run. Narugami and Yamino were like a call from god, which wasn't all that unusual since Narugami was a god. By the time they were done, the others had left, limping and bleeding profusely, vowing revenge.

Narugami helped the old man up and Yamino saw to the little boy. The two looked at one another and Narugami knew Yamino was thinking the same thing. They would have to stay with the old man for a bit, and find out what was going on. After all, it was Christmas. And even during this holiday season, justice didn't go unanswered.


	11. December 11th

**December 11th**

The snow continued to fall and it was making Hel a bit antsy. She'd spoken with her father and told him of the unusual snowfall, but the hadn't seemed concerned by it. He'd just made some lame joke about "Hel freezing over." She'd glared at him, but had finally laughed along with him. It was rather hard staying mad at him for long. His smile was absolutely infectious.

Then again, she had enough trouble dealing with her two newest guests. Odin had insisted that he stay in Helheim and Hel had finally given in, if only to shut him up. He could be incredibly irritating and his incessant whining was driving her crazy.

She sighed, leaning her head on the window sill in the library. She reached out her hand and let the snow fall into her palm, watching the snowflakes curiously. It had been a long time since she'd seen snowflakes and she marveled at their complexity. So caught up in the sight, she didn't notice when someone entered the library.

Balder had been ignoring his father for the most part and instead had wandered around. It was only fitting, after all, since this was to be his new home. He learned quickly and found that Niflheim wasn't that much different from Asgard. It was quiet, which he found he liked. It gave him a chance to think on what he'd done in the past.

What he remembered sickened him. It seemed that the longer he stayed here, the farther away the madness that had overtaken him grew. It was like he was another person, or rather he had become the man he once was. He couldn't even remember anymore why he'd sought to kill his father, and Loki. Loki hadn't been responsible for his death, well not directly. He had to admit, it had been his own stupid fault.

But then he saw her and he grinned. She looked so peaceful, no matter what side of her he could see. A grin split his face and he went over to her. He waited until she noticed him and then he took her hand in his. She followed him like a dutiful puppy, curious and overcome all at once.

Neither noticed that Odin watched from one of the tower windows. The pair left the castle and Balder took her in his arms, dancing with her in the snow. Even from the tower Odin could see the two and he wondered at all that had happened. Had it all occurred only for them all to be where they are now? Perhaps there was something to this whole love thing. The winter solstice was coming and he could feel the change in the air. Perhaps it was time for another change as well.


	12. December 12th

**December 12th**

The streets were bustling with shoppers and Loki found himself struggling to keep a hold of Heimdall. The two had scoured every food stall in the market and had come away with quite a few purchases, thanks to Heimdall's bargaining expertise. Shopping with Freyr had given him a sense of frugalness that even Freyr would have been envious of.

Unwillingly, Loki had benefited from that learning experience. Perhaps Heimdall wasn't quite as bad as he'd thought, aside from all the snide comments along the way, of course. He tried to remember that this was the season for giving and forgiveness.

The season itself seemed to want to bring the two closer together. They hadn't had any major arguments, at least if you didn't count the spat they'd had over who was going to get the last cheese wedge from the sample vendor they'd come across.

But now they seemed content and not under any obligation to destroy the other, at least not yet. Then again, it was always a near thing with Loki and Heimdall. Loki did get his revenge later on, however.

Heimdall had been looking at a watch case and the owner of the stall had told the "little boy" not to touch anything and that he should stay with his father. Loki had tried not to laugh; though he had a feeling he wasn't very successful. He promised that he would keep his "son" in line and promptly pulled Heimdall away by the ear.

That had been the height of Loki's afternoon. It wasn't long after that, the two had encountered a most disturbing occurrence.

They'd been arguing while walking and Heimdall had suddenly found himself on his ass in the street. Some guy had knocked him over while running from some woman that was chasing him. He had her purse and a stack of packages in his hands and was running for all he was worth.

The woman ran right into Loki and caught her before she could fall and hurt herself. "Miss? Is something wrong?"

"That man stole my purse and all the presents I bought!" The woman sobbed, clinging to Loki's shirt. "I don't have the money to replace them! My children…"

Loki looked at Heimdall, who sighed and nodded. They'd have to go after the mugger and teach him a lesson. Even with their enmity, neither could ignore a woman's call for help, or the sincerity in which she asked for their help, whether conscious or not.

Heimdall sent his falcon after the man and when the two finally reached him, he was cowering on the ground, the falcon's talons and beak pecking at his head. Heimdall called off his friend and Loki bodily picked up the man. He yelped and fell against a pair of police officers when two came running over. He looked at the two that had caught him and whimpered, begging the police to take him away and save him from the evil spirits.

Loki just smirked and handed the packages and purse back to the young woman, who blushed and thanked him and his "son" profusely before running off. Loki smirked and winked at Heimdall, who growled and followed. He just couldn't win, even when he was being a good samaritan!


	13. December 13th

**December 13th**

Settling themselves in the shelter, Narugami and Yamino listened to the monk tell them of the problems they'd been having. Strange things had been occurring, and then all of a sudden these men showed up, demanding payment to stop it. They didn't have any money, only what they got from donations from the community. Consequently, they'd had to close their doors since they didn't have any money to feed the homeless.

This had sent Narugami into a rage and strangely, Yamino seemed to be the only one to calm him. Yamino offered his services as cook and the monk had nearly wept in tears at the offer. Narugami and Yamino left to get the food they had brought and get things ready to open.

There was a line outside by the time they were ready. Yamino could only stare at all the people, amazed that there were so many homeless people in Tokyo. He'd never really thought much about it, what with living with his father and all. He'd always followed his father rather blindly into whatever situation that Loki was wont to get into.

But this was something that he could something about. After coming to Midgard, Yamino realized that he was good at something that no one else could compare to, at least no one that he knew of. He was good at cooking, or so Mayura and Loki told him constantly. He could please his father with his meals, but he could do more than that here.

These people needed food, otherwise they would starve. And they wouldn't care what it tasted like, just as long as it was hot and filled their cold, empty bellies. He'd found a calling within him, something that he could do something about and do it gladly. He wanted to do this and, somehow, he knew that his father would be proud of him for doing it.

So he offered his services as cook to the monk, much to Narugami's surprise. He hadn't really thought that Loki's son was one to take charge like that, but he was, obviously. He smiled and shook his head, reassuring the monk that all would be well. He would have an excellent cook that could work with just about anything and make it a gourmet meal, and he had Narugami who would take care of the ruffians that dared to try and close the shelter down.

In compensation, Yamino offered to make all of Narugami's meals for as long as they chose to do this little project. Narugami was shocked, and flattered all at the same time. The monk couldn't help but snicker at the two when they'd both suddenly become embarrassed and looked away. They'd been staring at each other for a good five minutes without even realizing it.

Christmas certainly had a way of bringing out the good in people, and this was no exception. It brought out the good, as well as gave everyone new revelations about themselves and those around them.


	14. December 14th

**December 14th**

Loki felt a twitch coming on and he glared angrily at Heimdall. "Don't you DARE say a word."

Heimdall smirked and looked innocently at Loki. "Why, whatever do you mean Loki? I thought it was common knowledge you were into bestiality?"

"I don't care if it is Christmas, you die now!"

The two enemies tussled a bit before Loki wiped his hands, a satisfied smirk on his face. Heimdall sat on the ground, his arms tied and a gag in his mouth. The Watcher glared at the Trickster, rage boiling up inside him.

All of this had occurred from the two stumbling upon Fenrir and Freya ice skating in the nearby park. Loki had nearly fallen over in shock upon seeing his now human son dance with Queen of the Valkyries. He still couldn't get over the sight.

He'd been glad to see Fenrir in his human form, however. It was good that his son could still shift, and even better that he didn't stay in his puppy/wolf form all the time. Fenrir needed to get out more, to experience more of life as a human, not as an animal.

Despite the shock of it all, he couldn't help but feel a modicum of pride. His son had attracted the idea of Freya…then again, according to Freya; she'd had a crush on Loki for who knew how long. It was an ironic turn of events and he couldn't help but laugh at the thought of it. First Freya was infatuated with him, and then she turned it onto his son!

Heimdall didn't seem at all happy about it, though. He had wanted Loki to feel miserable about the whole thing. He had in the beginning, but not any more and it pissed him off.

Fenrir and Freya, surprisingly, had seen them and went over to speak with them. Loki had tried not to twitch, and gave Fenrir meaningful glances, which his wolf son promptly ignored. Heimdall found it amusing, at least until Freya suggested that they all meet up to do some Christmas caroling later that evening.

Heimdall winced when Loki nodded enthusiastically, all but drooling at the thought of getting to do public singing. The last time Heimdall had been subjected to the Trickster's vocal range had nearly killed him. And he knew from the look that Freya was giving him that backing out was not an option.

He sighed and resigned himself to a night of horror. But then he thought of Loki's humiliation when everyone that heard him would die laughing and he smiled. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all!


	15. December 15th

**December 15th**

"Kaitou-san! Are you all right?"

Freyr looked up at the angel before him and gave a lopsided grin. "Hai, hai! Freyr is fine!"

Mayura didn't look convinced. She'd agreed to go Christmas shopping with him and while going down some stairs, he'd insisted on carrying her gifts. With his own in hand as well, he'd overbalanced and tumbled down the stairs. Luckily, none of the gifts were damaged, but one couldn't say the same thing for Freyr. But then again, one could never tell with Freyr.

"You shouldn't have done that, Kaitou-san! I was perfectly capable of carrying them myself," Mayura chided him gently, helping him to sit up. To prove her point, she picked up her own packages and carried them under her arms.

"But…but…" Freyr stuttered just before he fell over again. This time it was from the sight of the couple on the ice rink that wasn't far from where they were standing.

Mayura gave an excited coo and clapped her hands happily. "Oooo Freya-chan! She skates so beautifully! I wonder who that handsome man is with her?"

"Freyr will maim him for touching his Freya-chan!" Freyr growled, stopping when Mayura grabbed onto his hand and gave him a disapproving glare.

"She's obviously happy where she is, Kaitou-san! Let's go home. I have an idea I want to get everyone to do," Mayura said cryptically before leading the way. Freyr gave a yelp and ran after her to catch up.

Back at Loki's mansion, Mayura was bouncing excitedly, telling everyone about her plan.

"…so, I think it would be lots of fun!" She giggled, looking at them all expectantly.

Loki arched an eyebrow upwards, though there was a definite interest in his eyes. "Caroling?"

"Hai! We could all dress up and go caroling! And whatever money we raise, we could give to charity!" Mayura bounced some more, causing Loki to watch her carefully, or rather her chest area.

The only one that seemed to notice Loki's gaze was Heimdall, who smirked. "I think that's a great idea, Mayura-san!" It had been part of his plan and he was glad he didn't have to convince anyone to go along. They'd all do it for the human girl and he'd get to see Loki's humiliation at last!

"Hn. Yeah that does sound like a good idea. And the shelter could use the money," Narugami admitted and then grinned. "Count me in!"

Others made similar comments until it seemed everyone had agreed to go. Mayura bounced excitedly, almost overcome with happiness.


	16. December 16th

**December 16th**

Having convinced everyone to go caroling, Mayura was extremely hyper. She'd dressed in an old Victorian dress for the occasion and made sure the others did likewise. She trotted over to Loki's house, full of excitement and happiness. She loved this time of year and couldn't wait to experience it with her friends.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she came out of her thoughts. "Ready to go, Mayura?"

"Hai!" she turned and then promptly became speechless at the sight before her.

Loki winked at her from behind his wire-rimmed glasses, his period costume making him look even more handsome than usual. The flowing cape and lion's head cane gave him the appearance of royalty and she was hard pressed not to drool at the sight.

Someone cleared their throat and Mayura shook herself out of her thoughts. She flushed and giggled. "Kazumi-san!"

Heimdall scowled at them all, particularly Loki, who didn't bother to hide his smirk. Mayura had insisted on them dressing up, and thus, he was stuck in a Victorian boy's play outfit. Loki had made a comment about how it showed off his legs handsomely and had been kicked in the leg for his remark.

Mayura, Freya and the Norns were dressed in exquisite dresses, Mayura's a deep burgundy while Freya's was a soft sapphire. The Norns had alternating colors, one green, yellow and purple.

Each of the men, save for Heimdall, were dressed in long flowing garments with capes. It was almost like they'd all stepped back into time and were now in Victorian England.

This idea greatly excited Mayura, since that was some of her favorite time periods. So many wonderful mysteries had come out of that era or were made for it. It was like being in London, seeing and hearing all about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and the adventures they had together in solving cases.

Grinning at the group, Mayura linked her arm in Loki's and lead the way. This was going to be so much fun!


	17. December 17th

**December 17th**

Mayura and her friends decided to start caroling in the nearby park. This, as it turned out, was a mistake.

Everything started out fine. Mayura instructed them all where to stand and she made sure to stand right next to Loki. She didn't like the way many of the women, young and old alike, flocked over to ogle Loki. Couldn't they see he was hers?

Getting into the spirit of things, Narugami took a dramatic pose in front, causing Yamino and Verdandi to both drool slightly. "Okay! Welcome to the Narugami Christmas Choir! Feel free to make donations, all proceeds go to the Ying-Yang Homeless Shelter!" He ignored the glares from the others at the blatant advertisement. "Now sit back and enjoy the show!"

Raising his hands, he led them in a rendition of "Oh Holy Night."

It wasn't long before the patrons around them began to twitch, some spasming violently. It wasn't that the group had horrible voices. There just seemed to be one among the group that was incredibly off key and out of synch.

At first it wasn't all that noticeable. But as the song progressed, it became steadily worse. The voice was masculine, so Mayura knew it wasn't Freya or the Norns. When they came to the end of the song, she visibly winced when whoever it was gave a high pitched screech.

She looked around at each of them, trying to figure out who it was. If they didn't stop the person soon, they'd lose all their patrons!

When the next song began, "Silent Night," she moved her lips, but listened for the voice carefully. It was faint at first, but it soon picked up clearly and it made her twitch. Whoever it was, they were a horrible singer!

Listening with a careful ear, she was able to determine that it wasn't Narugami or Freyr. She'd been half expecting it to be one of them. She thought perhaps it was Fenrir, (who she thought it was too cute that Loki had named his dog after his son) or Yamino. Yamino's voice was so light it was barely audible from anyone else.

That only left young Kazumi and Loki. But surely, it couldn't be the Detective! He was so handsome and gallant and gracious! Surely someone that wonderful would have an angelic voice!

Convinced that it had to be Kazumi, Mayura handed everyone a water bottle before they went into their third song. She discretely asked Kazumi if he would get the music for the next song.

Strangely, he didn't protest. He left the group, a decidedly evil smirk on his lips. Pleased with herself, Mayura turned back as they began "Jingle Bells." The poor girl had the surprise of her life, which made Heimdall smirk all the more.

The voice was still there. In fact, not only had it not one away, but it was right next to her. She stared at him in disbelief, trembling. Now that she wasn't in denial any longer, she realized it was coming from right next to her.

Growling, she tackled Loki. The others stopped and stared at her in disbelief. They'd known she liked him but this was taking it a bit far.

When the dust cleared, Mayura surfaced with a beatific look on her face. She raised her head in song happily, the offending voice silenced. The others stared at her, and then snickered and went back to their caroling.

Loki glared at them all, where he sat on the ground, his hands tied and his mouth gagged. This wasn't very Christmassy at all!


	18. December 18th

**December 18th**

Loki was still seething about the caroling incident a few days later. In order to placate him, Mayura dragged him into the kitchen to make Christmas cookies. He grudgingly went along, though Yamino could tell that he wasn't really adverse to the idea.

Mayura grinned at him shyly, his hand in hers. Yamino had made him self scarce, leaving the kitchen to the two of them. She smiled up at him, flushing slightly. "I'm sorry about before, Loki-san. I was just…uhm…surprised it was you."

"That's fine, Mayura. I know my singing voice isn't the best." Loki couldn't believe he was saying that, but he knew it was true. He could never stay mad at her for long, anyway. And it had been rather amusing…after the gag had come off, at any rate.

Mayura smiled and shook her head. "You have a lovely sounding voice, Loki-san. You just need to learn how to stay in key is all. I could…teach you if you want."

He smiled and took her hand in his, kissing it softly. "I would like that very much, Mayura."

"Okay," she blushed and pulled her hand away before diving into the pantry to rummage around and retrieve the necessary ingredients to make the cookies with.

While she did that, Loki took out the trays and rolling pin, and then turned on the radio to a Christmas station. Mayura giggled when he started humming to himself to the music. Returning with the ingredients, the two set out to begin baking.

A few hours later, both were covered in flour and laughing gaily. They'd had an impromptu food fight, flying spoonfuls of flour at each other. Consequently, flour lay all over the loor, on their clothes and in their hair. Mayura set the last tray of cookies in the oven, blowing a lock of flour-caked hair from her face. "There! The last batch is in."

"Good," Loki sat at the counter, dividing the batches of cookies evenly. They'd made nearly eighty dozen, which they intended to divide up and give to the shelter that Yamino and Narugami had been working so hard with. Taking a batch of cookies, Loki divided them up into small wicker baskets, decorating them with ribbon and metal bells.

Mayura giggled at the intense look on concentration on his face. His glasses had slipped down his nose, his eyes centered on the delicate work of threading the ribbons in the basket handle. Sitting next to him, Mayura rested her chin on her hand and watched him with fascination. He seemed so absorbed in his work.

He wasn't that absorbed, at least not enough that he didn't notice her. He looked up and held out a morsel of cookie and she smiled at him. She leaned forward to take a bite.

She wasn't expecting him to take the other end and their lips meet in an unexpected kiss. Her eyes widened and he pulled back, winking and pointed upwards. There was a sprig of mistletoe above them, though she hadn't remembered it being there before. She blushed and smiled shyly at him and he smiled back.


	19. December 19th

**December 19th**

The endless snowfall blanketed the once desolate landscape of Niflheim, much to Hel's surprise. She hadn't expected it to continue, not after the initial downpour of snow. She certainly wasn't going to argue the fact, especially since it had brought her closer to Balder, and Odin even had seemed to be getting better about things.

She sighed softly, though she was still a bit sad that she couldn't be with her family during the holiday season. The Christmas season had infected her and the inhabitants of Niflheim as well, and they were all excited about the upcoming day. It would be a time of joy and happiness, something that not many of them had ever had before.

It was this desire that had caused Odin to plot with Balder, both of them wanting to give Hel a present that only they could give her.

Balder walked down the corridor of Helheim, searching for his love. They'd become closer and closer, though his father didn't know just how close. Neither did Loki, which he was glad of. He certainly didn't intend to tell Loki, since he didn't want to die twice.

"Hel?" He stuck his head in the library and smiled, seeing her sitting in the plush chair, reading.

She looked up and smiled at Balder, instantly on her feet and over to him. "How are you? I haven't seen you all day!"

"I know and I'm sorry. But I have a present for you," Balder winked, taking her hand and leading her out of the library and to the room that Odin was waiting for them in. Odin didn't say anything when they entered, merely winked and opened a portal. Hel arched an eyebrow, but wasn't able to say anything as she was pushed through, Balder and Odin following.

She blinked, staring in disbelief at the kitchen. Wasn't this in her father's mansion? It was then that she saw Loki and Mayura sitting at a table, kissing. She turned a deep scarlet and cleared her throat.

"Eh?" Loki stared in shock at the three newcomers, a flush creeping up his cheeks.

Odin snickered, an evil smirk on his lips. Everything was worth it, just to see Loki's expression on his face. "Merry Christmas! Your in-laws have arrived!"


	20. December 20th

**December 20th**

The lights of the street filled the avenue and Mayura was even more excited then she thought possible. Being a famous detective, Loki had been given tickets to the opening of the new ballet theatre's premier production of "The Nutcracker Suite."

Loki was dressed in the standard tux, but Mayura matched him, wearing a long black dress with white gloves. He couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was. He led her inside the theatre, smirking at all the looks that they received from the crowd. They certainly did make a beautiful couple.

Mayura felt like royalty, the way everyone kept staring at them. She was only missing a diamond necklace and tiara to complete the ensemble. She smiled at that thought and shook her head.

Loki led her up the stairs to the balcony, feeling like he'd gone back in time. This reminded him of times he'd spent in London before he'd been banished. They weren't unpleasant memories, so he was determined to make the most of this time as well.

The ballet began and Mayura found herself getting a bit bored. She'd seen this a hundred times or more on television, though there was something to be said about seeing it live. Still, she knew the story already and that gave way to boredom.

She wasn't bored for long. Loki scooted closer to her and took her hand in his. "I have an early Christmas present for you, Mayura."

"Oh?" She was instantly intrigued. She loved presents!

Loki nodded, a sly look coming across his features. After the kiss in the kitchen, he'd been thinking about her more and more and decided that this Christmas would be quite different from any others they'd shared together. He pulled out a long box, which was wrapped in a lovely metallic green paper.

Mayura gasped, holding the beautiful gift in her hands. It was almost a shame she had to open it, it was so pretty. But open it she did and she gasped with what she saw inside.

A diamond necklace lay within, stunning in every detail. One could tell every stone was a genuine diamond, and not something else, just by the way it glittered and caught the light. It was exquisite and must have cost a fortune.

There was a matching bracelet next to the necklace and Loki grinned. "Do you like it, Mayura?"

"I…it's beautiful, Loki-san. Thank you so much! But I don't deserve something this fine," she tried to return it to him but he would have none of it. He took the necklace off the velvet bed and gently placed it around her neck. "Ah! Just as I thought. It's perfect for you, almost as if it were made especially for you, sweet Mayura."

She blushed at his words, but let him put the necklace and bracelet on her. She looked up at him once he was done and realized that this Christmas would be far different from others in the past. This Christmas, she was in love.


End file.
